COHASSET, MASS. (WHDH) - Health officials in Cohasset are temporarily closing a portion of Sandy Beach as they investigate what may be causing the sand there to darken and stink.
Though regular, weekly water quality tests for the beach have come back clean, testing around the discolored area on the upper north side shows high levels of bacteria, according to the Cohasset Health Department and Department of Public Works.
Beginning Thursday, the town began digging in and around the area to determine the source of the problem.
During this process, a clump of decomposing seaweed was found to be producing the “sewage-like” odor.
Every June the seaweed is cleaned off the beach before the official beach opening.
It is unclear if the seaweed has anything to do with the elevated bacteria levels.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)